Symphony of A Trainer
by LastPrelude
Summary: A music-loving trainer leaves his monotonous life on Mossdeep and decides to travel the Hoenn and beat the Champion. Along the way, he meets the usual stuff: crime, adventure, drama, and more. First EVER fanfic. ON HOLD.
1. Getting Better

**Well, here goes my first ever fanfiction. Constructive criticism welcomed. **

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_There's one of 'em coming. I can feel it this time._

Nine year-old Xavier clutched firmly on the fishing rod, white knuckles tightly gripped along the bottom. His emerald eyes gazed across the still surface of the ocean. Blowing his red hair out from his eye, he glanced at his bobber. It was still drifting silently as the ocean waves pushed again and again. The boy tightened his grip. He was ready for whatever was coming.

A ripple.

He focused. His gaze as well as his concentration focused. Going into a balanced stance, he got ready to pull.

A shadow appeared near the surface of the water. Xavier's eyes followed it silently as it swam slowly over to the hook. The fish seemed to be curious. It swam in circles around the bait, then closed in on it. It bit.

Instantly, Xavier threw his arms back and pulled with his might. The fish jerked towards him, forcefully dragged through the water. It splashed desperately, but to no avail. After flailing a few more seconds, it decided to give in and let itself be pulled by whatever this force was. The boy reeled the fish in and out of the water. He looked at it in disappointment.

"Another Magikarp," he said. He closed his eyes, sighed, and released it back into the water. The last two hours were the same thing, all he caught were Magikarp and Magikarp.

It was getting dark. He had to go home soon. Grabbing his bucket and rod, he started walking away from the oceanside. His house was on the other side of Mossdeep City, near the west side. He was all the way in the east. Walking through the city for his billionth time, he took notice in all the places he saw familiar with.

There was some residential houses featuring some unique citizens. An old man who loved to play games with younger children, a boy who kept talking about some kind of "Secret Bases" that trainers seemed to know about. A strong Black Belt lived there to, talking about PokeBlocks. Even the Hoenn champion himself, Steven Stone, resided in one of these houses. He rarely was home, though, spending most of his time battling strong trainers and searching for rare stones. Xavier had heard rumors about how strong Steven was.

They say his Metagross could pummel others with ease, even blowing down the strongest of other trainers using its powerful body and psychic abilities.

They say his Aggron could bring down opponents more than double its size with its sheer strength and iron defenses.

They say his Skarmory could bring fear even into the mightiest opponents and brought them down through the air.

Xavier wasn't sure if these rumors were true or not, but if they were Steven was possibly one of the best trainers in the world. After pushing aside these thoughts, he kept walking.

There was the Pokemon Center, where trainers would heal their Pokemon of any casualties and injuries. There was the shopping mart, where trainers could buy potions, battle aids, and items.

The Space Center was a fairly popular place, but Xavier wasn't interested in space. He was interested in something else.

He stopped his walking and turned left. There was the Mossdeep City Gym, where leaders Tate and Liza waited for trainers to battle them. Xavier watched trainers go up against the duo only to be obliterated by their psychic powers, fascinating combo attacks, and deadly teamwork and cooperation. Someday he wished he could go up against them.

Xavier longed for the action Pokemon trainers faced. He longed for the thrill of battle, experiencing victory and even losses. Most of all, he longed for a Pokemon of his own. Not just the commonly found Magikarp around Mossdeep. His own Pokemon he can raise, become close with, and battle with. A companion. But he didn't.

Mossdeep was an island city, so it was fairly secluded from the rest of the region. Even though it was still pretty populated (the fourth most in Hoenn) Xavier still felt there was more to see. He longed to travel out from the island. He loved his parents, but sometimes he wished he could leave Mossdeep and travel on his own. There was so much more cities and towns he could explore and so many more people to meet and battle.

Right now, they were empty dreams.

He reached his house, sighed once again, and dragged himself into the house. His muscles were sore and he needed a good night's rest. His parents were already asleep. Xavier entered his bedroom, washed up, and blanked out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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The sun had barely rose over the horizon, but Xavier bolted from bed. He was a light sleeper and usually got up early to fish. Early dawn and late night were his prime fishing times.

Xavier raced to his usual fishing spot, bucket and rod in hand. The morning mist had settled across the bayside. Light had scarcely penetrated the sea, so it was freezing cold. Dew was sliding off the grass nearby. Xavier paid attention to his rod. He saw a shadow in the water approach the bait, and prayed it wasn't a Magikarp.

The fish bit. It was the same cycle as yesterday. Xavier pulled and pulled against the struggling fish, fins flapping wildly.

Xavier glanced at the strange fish. It wasn't the typical Magikarp he caught, or the occasional Tentacool he found. It was a dull brown color, with darker spots plastered all over it. It sported an arch-shaped tail and blue fins, and what seemed to appear as a dark circle around its eye.

Upon closer examination, Xavier confirmed it as a Feebas. At first he was doubtful, since Feebas are rarely seen in all of Hoenn. He heard some trainers say there were exclusively in Fortree City, but eventually he disregarded his doubts and happily took the Feebas home.

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He burst through the door, eyes gleaming.

"Mother! Look what I caught!"

An young woman stepped down the stairs. She had solid red hair as opposed to Xavier's reddish-orange hair which he got from his father. She peered into the bucket and saw the Feebas, and beamed.

"Congratulations!" She threw up her arms. "Now, wait here. I've been saving this for a special occasion."

She strided into the kitchen. Xavier heard some pots and pans bang, with an occasional "oof". His mother was not a very organized person.

After a while she seemingly found what she was looking for, and entered the living room. She was holding something in her hands. Xavier cocked his head and looked at it with curiosity. As she approached nearer, Xavier saw it was a pair of green headphones, with a silvery band and black stripes running down the side. In the sunlight, it seemed to gleam. He stared at it in awe and wondered how his mother afforded such an expensive-looking object.

"Like it?" His mother laughed. "It was your father's before he passed away. He got them when he caught his first Pokemon, like you caught your Feebas today."

She slipped the headphones on Xavier's head. Xavier stood still for a long time, feeling the texture of the headphones and how they felt.

They felt as if they were meant to be there. He looked up and smiled.

Things were going to get better.

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**There's the first chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated, you guys need to help a newbie like me. **


	2. Wailmer Whomping

As sunlight streamed through the window, Xavier's eyes slowly fluttered open. He had overslept from the excitement of his catch last night. Xavier slowly dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom. As he gazed lazily into the mirror, he realized he still had his headphones around his neck. He studied them carefully.

_I must've slept with them on, _he thought. He decided to test it out, see what kind of music it played. He switched it on, and music immediately started pouring out. Soon Xavier was closing his eyes and getting lost in this deep sensation he felt in his head. Soon the infectious beat spread throughout the rest of his body, so Xavier snapped, clapped, and tapped to the rhythm. He was a walking musical.

After washing up, he went down the stairs and grabbed a single red-and-white PokeBall. He went out to buy one to store his Feebas safely. He sprinted to his usual fishing spot and released the PokeBall. Feebas came out, relieved to find itself in the familiar water again.

"Okay, Feebas. I caught you and now you're my Pokemon!" Xavier exclaimed loudly.

"Show me what you can do!" Xavier pointed a finger and gave the command triumphantly. He waited a bit, but all the Feebas did was splash. Xavier's confidence began to wane.

"Um, what _can _you do?" he asked doubtfully.

"Feebas. . ." the fish replied, splashing obliviously.

"Can you use any water attacks? Like Water Gun?" Xavier asked hopefully.

"Feebas. . ." the fish replied, splashing obliviously.

"How about Surf or Hydro Pump?" he asked again.

"Feebas. . ." the fish replied, splashing obliviously.

"Are you even listening to me, or are you going to splash there obliviously?" Xavier inquired.

"Feebas. . ." the fish replied, splashing obliviously.

Xavier sighed. Was this fish another version of Magikarp? He needed more information about this Feebas. He recalled Feebas into his PokeBall, then headed off toward the PokeMart.

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"Excuse me?" Xavier walked to the counter. The shopkeeper stared down at Xavier.

"Do you sell PokeDexes?"

The shopkeeper stared at the little redheaded boy with headphones perched around his neck for a minute. He burst out laughing.

"Son, there aren't any PokeDexes found in ol' shops like these," the shopkeeper replied. He held his sides.

"Oh," came the disappointed reply. Xavier headed out of the shop, head down.

"Wait! Kid!" the shopkeeper yelled. Xavier turned around.

"I heard there's an old man in one of the residential houses that can teach you about Pokemon! Think that'll help?"

Xavier's mood uplifted. "Thanks mister!" He grinned, and ran toward the residential area.

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_Knock, knock. _

Xavier waited patiently. He heard muffled footsteps approach the door and a turning of a knob. Seconds later, he was face-to-face with an old man clutching a cane, PokeBalls hanging over his belt.

"Whatcha want, sonny?" the old man asked.

"I came here for a PokeDex, sir," came the answer. "I was told you may have one."

The old man grinned. He held open the door more openly.

"Well, it seems if we got a wannabe trainer here. Is that why you want one, eh? To be a trainer?"

Xavier nodded eagerly.

"Come inside."

As Xavier came inside, he noticed antique furniture and polished PokeBalls lined up against the wall. Pictures of pokemon hung on the ceiling. Xavier noticed a particulary interesting one that showed a majestic bird with its wings held wide, with sleek silvery feathers with a tinted blue color. It had a smooth streamline head, with a blue underbelly. Beneath was a wild and raging sea, and black thunderstorms in the sky. It made Xavier think how many Pokemon were out there.

Lost in his daydream, Xavier didn't notice the old man holding a solid red device in front him. Xavier's eyes widened.

"I can have this? Just like that?" Xavier asked incredulously.

"One thing, son. Tell me how, why, and when you wanted to become a Trainer," responded the old man.

So Xavier told him the story about how he wanted to raise his own Pokemon, and how he was so happy to finally catch a Feebas the other day and how he needed information on it. The old man rubbed his chin and stared down at Xavier with interest.

"Feebas, huh. Let me give you one more hint before you go on your journey." The old leaned toward him. "Raise that Pokemon hard, like you've never trained before, and something good will come out of it. The fruits of your hard labor."

Before Xavier could inquire, the old man pushed him out. "Get."

Xavier found himself outside.

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"Okay, Feebas. It seems that you're pretty weak. No offense," Xavier said to his fish, who was still splashing in the water. "But we're gonna try hard, okay?" Xavier stared blankly at the fish.

_Sigh. _

Without realizing he did it, Xavier turned up his headphones. The music started leaking out in the air, and Xavier closed his eyes again. When he opened them, he found himself staring at a Feebas splashing and jumping out of the water, all lively and active.

Xavier tried to comprehend what was going on. Did this fish respond to _music? _

He stopped the music. Instantly, the fish drooped down to its normal state.

On. Lively.

Off. Splash. Repeat. Same results.

Xavier grinned. Now he knew what to do.

"Feebas, try jumping in and out of the water five times in a circle!" He said, turning up the music. Feebas did as it was told, performing the jumps with skill and precision.

Xavier tried another experiment. He gathered a bunch of big boulders and tossed them in the lake in a strange pattern. After panting a bit, he gave a command.

"Weave through the boulders as fast as you can!" He turned up a smooth, legato song. The fish responded by swiftly swimming around the boulders and completed the command in less than four seconds.

Xavier walked closer to the lake. "We're going to have to work hard throughout the week, Feebas."

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Just as promised, Xavier and Feebas trained harder than they ever did before. Every day, Xavier would get up early, sprint to his usual spot near the oceanside, and call out his Feebas. The fish eagerly did as it was told, from dodging obstacles to swimming laps and tackling waterfalls.

Xavier fed his Feebas Blue PokeBlocks he obtained from the Black Belt nearby, because they were the only ones. Xavier happily took them though, and fed them to Feebas when it performed a hard trick or maneuver.

Throughout the week, his Feebas was one tough fish. Eventually, Xavier decided to test out his Feebas. He took Feebas to the other side of the island.

"'Kay, Feebas...this is going to be your first battle. We worked hard, and now we can put all the work to use," Xavier said. He pointed his index finger toward the ocean. "If we travel a little further, we'll run into a pack of Tentacool and Wailmer. They're very protective of their territory. Understand?"

The Feebas swam around in approval.

"Good. Let's go."

As Xavier approached the waters, he spotted the Wailmer and Tentacool eyeing him in suspicion. They swam towards Xavier ominously. The boy pretended not to notice them. He fidgeted with the PokeBall in his hand, and released it.

"Get 'em, Feebas!" Xavier turned up the music.

The fish Pokemon materialized with a sturdy look on its face.

"Summon a Rain Dance!" Xavier shouted. Rain immediately began to shower the area. Tentacool and Wailmer were closing in on the Feebas, trying to gang up on the intruder.

Feebas, however, with its Swift Swim ability activated, was able to swiftly glide through the water past the numerous Water Pokemon. The others tried following it, but it was too fast.

"Good job Feebas! Now, attack with Tackle!" Xavier commanded

Feebas flung itself toward a Tentacool who took full brunt of the attack, spinning through the water and landing lazily on the ocean floor.

"Water Pulse!"

Feebas generated ultrasonic waves from its mouth, sending the pulses through the water. The incoming Wailmer were suddenly confused and started swimming this way and that, crashing into each other.

"While they're confused, Tackle 'em!"

The Feebas obeyed, smacking the Wailmer's soft underbellies. Their bulkiness protected them somewhat, so they didn't go down as easily.

Meanwhile, incoming Tentacool were shooting Acid at Feebas. The toxic gas was slowly drifting toward Feebas' general area.

"Protect!" Xavier cried. Feebas managed to generate a sky-blue force field around it, rendering the toxic gas useless. After the cloud passed by, the fish was unharmed from any damage.

"Now for the counterattack! Jump out of the water and use Ice Beam!" Xavier shouted.

Feebas leaped far into the air, where the foes were unable to touch him. Letting its breath out, Feebas blew a focused beam of freezing ice down at the water, where it instantly froze many of the Pokemon. Feebas landed on the ice and slid on it.

"You know what to do, Feebas!"

Feebas jumped off the path of ice and began charging up energy.

"Blizzard!"

Feebas let out all the stored energy, releasing it in waves of snow and ice. The blistering fury of the attack sent many Tentacool flying. Water began to freeze, and snow pelted the remaining Wailmer. The pure force behind the attack instantly caused some enemies to retreat.

After the attack, Feebas splashed back down in the water. Only a handful of Wailmer were left. Angered by the strong ice attack, they shot numerous Hydro Pumps at the fish.

"Mirror Coat!"

The powerful bursts of water were immediately cut short by a mysterious aura covering the Feebas. The water pumps were immediately angled back toward the Wailmer. They went flying in the air, dazed.

"Finish them off with a Waterfall charge!"

"Feebas!" The fish immediately started charging toward the Wailmer at blistering speed, leaving behind a powerful wake. The Wailmer could only watch with startled eyes as the Feebas rammed them with the power to climb waterfalls. The whales didn't stand a chance and were knocked out cold.

"Great job Feebas!" Xavier exclaimed cheerfully. "You took them down all by yourself!" He tossed Feebas a Blue PokeBlock and patted its head.

"Feebas!" the fish splashed happily.

As they were cheering, they didn't notice two giant shadows looming over them.

"Tenta. . ."

"Wail. . . "

Xavier and Feebas cut their laughter short. They gaped at the giant Pokemon swimming in front of them.

Immediately, a giant tentacle slammed into the ground next to them, causing it to shake. It was followed by a huge Hydro Pump.

"Feebas. . .I think they're mad that we, you know. . ." Xavier whispered to his fish. He shivered.

Feebas however, was unafraid. With unwavering courage, it stood up to the giant Tentacruel and Wailord, ready to fight.

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**Okay, that's chapter two. Reviews appreciated.**


	3. Fruits of Labor

**I looked at the previous chapters and realized I forgot to write disclaimers, so from now on there will be. **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Pokemon and/or I am not affiliated with Game Freak/Nintendo in anyway. I do own Xavier. **

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Xavier stared in amazement as Feebas swam to the Tentacruel and Wailord with a determined look on its face.

"Feebas!" It shouted.

The Tentacruel and Wailord, however, didn't react. They loomed over the Feebas, staring down at it as if it were a pathetic peasant. The Wailord finally gave a response and launched a Hydro Pump at the fish.

Feebas quickly dodged the pump of water. Attacking on its own accord, it shot a Water Pulse at the Wailord.

The Wailord shook it off like a dust particle. It quickly swam around in circles and created a Whirlpool that slowly sucked the Feebas in. Feebas tried desperately to escape the wrath of the whirlpool, but to no avail. Tentacruel harshly slammed the fish with its tentacle, sending it flying through the air. It landed in front of Xavier.

"Feebas! Are you okay?" Xavier rushed forward to help his comrade. The Feebas was dazed, but not done yet.

"Feebas...don't continue...you'll get beaten," Xavier warned. However, the fish ignored its Trainer's command and swam forward again, only to be knocked back by a Poison Jab.

Xavier could only watch in horror as his Pokemon got pummeled, recover, and get pummeled again.

"Feebas! Stop!" Xavier shouted. The Feebas looked at its trainer.

"Feebas, you don't have to do this for me. You're my first Pokemon, I don't want to lose you. Let's get out of here," Xavier said weakly, fear in his eyes.

The Feebas stared at its Trainer for a long time. It faced back to the Pokemon. It yelled.

"_Feeeeeeeeeeeeebas!" _

A white aura coated the Feebas, engulfing the area with light. Xavier stared wondrously as the small fish enlarged itself, transforming its shabby fins into a beautiful, sleek and shiny coat. Its short whiskers transformed into long, red ones. Its body form elongated into that of a sea serpent, a majestic form that radiated grace. Its short stubby fins grew into a graceful fan shape.

"Milotic," it said. Xavier stared in amazement. Is this what the old man meant when he should train his Feebas, and something good will come out of it?

_The fruits of your labor. _The words rung loudly in Xavier's head.

Xavier's amazement turned into a smile. "All right, Milotic. Let's take these two on!"

He then realized he had no idea what Milotic's attacks were.

"Um...act on your own accord!" Xavier said, feeling useless.

However, Milotic obeyed. It swam gracefully through the water, swifter and faster than before. It launched itself into the air and shot a focused Dragonbreath at Tentacruel. The Tentacruel got hit with full impact, but it did not back down. Gathering energy, it unleashed an Icy Wind attack, aimed directly at Milotic.

The Milotic countered by covering itself with an Aqua Ring, healing any damage done to it. It then threw itself toward the Tentacruel and performed an Aqua Tail, slamming its eel-like tail at it. The Tentacruel spun around dizzily and collapsed on the floor.

Now the Wailord was left. Milotic gazed at its opponent fiercely. The Wailord gathered its strength and jumped into the air, getting ready for a Double-Edge attack. It hardened its sides and threw itself with all its might toward Milotic.

Using its slippery body, Milotic leapt to the right, dodging the incoming Wailord's attack. Summoning its energy, Milotic shot off a freezing Ice Beam just as the Wailord launched a massive Surf attack.

The two moves collided, leaving the result as a frozen tidal wave. Quick to react, the Wailord slid on the ice, taking advantage of its slippery surface. It shot off another Hydro Pump.

Milotic dodged the attack by smashing through the ice and back under the water. Wailord soon followed and pursued Milotic.

Milotic shot off numerous Water Pulses at the ice-encrusted surface. Bits of ice fell down on the Wailord following it. Soon Wailord found itself trying to dodge chunks of ice sinking from above, slowly piling down on it. Milotic finished it off by shooting a brightly-colored Dragon Pulse directly above Wailord. The gigantic chunk of ice was unavoidable. Struggling, the Wailord tried dodge it, but to no avail. The chunk of ice fell down along with its victim.

A minute later, the Wailord floated back up, knocked out.

Xavier stood in awe by Milotic's amazing performance. He rushed over to his new Pokemon.

"That was awesome, Feebas! Er...I mean Milotic!" Xavier exclaimed. "Let's go home." He put Milotic back in its Pokeball and started to walk home. On the way, he spotted the Mossdeep Gym again.

"Watch out, Tate and Liza. I'm gonna beat you two soon," Xavier said to himself. He stared at the gym for a long time. Then he rushed home.

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The next day, Xavier eagerly grabbed Milotic's Pokeball and went to train it some more. Things were about to get much harder now.

Xavier familiarized himself with Milotic's new attacks, and set up drills that best utilized their abilities.

For example, he would set up targets that would be taken down by Milotic's projectile attacks, or build a dummy to take Milotic's Aqua Tail.

The two worked all morning, and stopped to take a rest. Xavier drank from a cool, clean pond nearby as Milotic swam in circles in the ocean.

As Xavier let out a content sigh, he heard rustling nearby. He looked up to see a tuft of brown fur disappear. Cautiously, Xavier followed it. Stalking it carefully, he peered through the tall weeds to see a small, brown fox-like Pokemon trying to steal Xavier's packed lunch. Xavier burst out of his hiding place.

"Hey, stop stealing my lunch!" He yelled, fist raised.

The Pokemon revealed its large round eyes and looked surprised. Quickly, it leapt in the weeds.

Xavier opened his lunch. Most of it was still untouched, thankfully. He stood up. What was that Pokemon?

He flipped open his Pokedex, using its sensor, tried to find the Pokemon. Whacking the weeds, he found the Pokemon nearby and recognized it as an Eevee. His hand reached for a spare Pokeball on his belt. He grabbed it firmly as he called out, "Milotic! Come here!"

Milotic immediately jumped out of the ocean to where Xavier was, staring silently at the Eevee in front of it.

Xavier shouted out, "Water Gun, Milotic!"

The Eevee swiftly dodged the water attack, and ran toward Milotic, eager to hit it with a Quick Attack. Milotic quickly slithered out of the way.

"Now try a Dragonbreath!" Xavier commanded. "Follow up with Aqua Tail!"

Milotic let out a fiery blast of power, which hit Eevee head-on. The Pokemon let out a cry as it was knocked backward. It somersaulted over and over again. Enraged, the Eevee used an Agility to boost its speed. Milotic rushed forward to attack with its Aqua Tail, which it had trained on. Eevee, thanks to its speed enhancement, dodged it easily. The Aqua Tail left a gaping hole on the ground due to its power.

The Eevee smirked to itself as it rushed behind Milotic and smashed it with a Take Down. The Milotic took full impact of the attack and fell forward. Steadily, it got back up.

"Don't give up now, Milotic!" Xavier encouraged. "Heal yourself with an Aqua Ring!"

Milotic got up and formed a watery barrier around itself, recovering its health. It got up confidently and awaited its next command.

Xavier let out his breath in relief. "Good. Now try an Ice Beam!"

Eevee found itself staring at a freezing beam hurtling its way. It quickly sidestepped to dodge the attack, and jumped on Milotic to use a Bite attack. Milotic quickly knocked the Eevee off before it could do any serious damage.

Eevee didn't like being shook off. No it didn't. Angered, it began gathering energy in front of it.

Xavier's eyes widened in shock. What was that attack? He whipped out his Pokedex.

Eevee was forming a purple-ish aura around it. Its energy gathered formed into a sphere. Crying, it launched the ominous energy ball toward the Milotic. The sphere hit Milotic squarely, and Milotic was knocked back a long distance. It groaned.

"_Miiiiiilllloooooootiiiiiiicc...." _

Xavier's Pokedex recognized the attack as Shadow Ball.

_Since when could Eevee learn Shadow Ball?_

Xavier redirected his focus on his injured Milotic. Rushing forward, he gave a Hyper Potion to his Milotic. The potion aided Milotic's wounds and Milotic got up, all restored of health.

"Milotic! Let's finish this off with a Hyper Beam!"

Milotic opened its mouth wide and gathered its own energy. The Eevee took a step backward, trying to figure out what was going on. Milotic aimed its head toward Eevee, energy almost to a peak level. It unleashed the beam directly at the brown Pokemon.

The Eevee didn't stand a chance and flew backward. It stayed on the floor, knocked out.

Xavier eagerly threw a Pokeball, hoping it would work. The Pokeball shot its signature red beam at the Eevee, and took it inside the Pokeball. It fell on the floor.

One wobble. Xavier held his breath.

Two wobbles. He crossed his fingers.

Three.

Xavier let out his breath. He reached down to pick up the Pokeball.

"Yes!" He let out a triumphant cheer.

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As Xavier returned home, he placed his newfound Pokemon on the shelf. He jumped on his bed, took off his headphones, and patted the Pokeball.

"We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow, Eevee."

_Click. _

The light went out. The darkness came, and Xavier fell asleep.

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**Sorry this chapter took a little longer. I had to stop writing due to...physical injuries. Next chapters are going to take a little longer, but not as long. **


	4. Deadly Dances At Dusk

"Okay, Eevee! One more time!" Xavier said. "Shadow Ball!"

The Eevee didn't respond, instead staring its paw interestingly.

"Eevee!"

It was like this almost all day. The Eevee refused almost everything Xavier wanted it to do. Probably out of the thousand times he told it to, the Eevee shot a Shadow Ball.

"You've got quite the attitude, don't you?" Xavier said to his Eevee. "Fine, if you do it this time, we'll take a break."

The Eevee's ears perked up as it listened to what Xavier said. It got in its combat stance.

The brown Pokemon gathered its ghostly energy in the form of a ball, and launched the orb straight into a dummy made up of sticks and stacks of straw. The ball collided, and the dummy fell as purple smoke rose from it.

"Excellent, Eevee!" Xavier complimented. He sat down, and yawned. "Time for a break."

It was late in the day, sun dipping into the west horizon. A pink and yellow-ish color pervaded the sky, leaving an colorful, almost abstract-looking sky. Xavier lay down as he watched the sky interestingly, and turned up his headphones to a peaceful and calming tune. He closed his eyes. The soothing breezes and calm and relaxing atmosphere made him unwind. He almost began falling asleep, when he heard a loud noise that pierced the peaceful melody he was listening too.

Standing back up, Xavier took a look at his Pokemon. His Eevee had apparently launched a Shadow Ball at Xavier's Milotic, who luckily managed to dodge it. He ran toward the two Pokemon.

"That's your comrade, Eevee! Don't go around attacking your battle partners!" Xavier warned. Eevee looked away disdainfully. Milotic seemed to be fine. He returned both his allies to their respective Pokeballs.

Xavier resumed to what he was doing before. Time passed slowly, and Xavier fell asleep.

He woke up to a splashing sound.

Xavier looked around, seemingly unaware of what happened. He then realized he fell asleep. The sound he had heard was some water Pokemon splashing nearby. It was nighttime now. The sun had long gone.

Quietly, Xavier released his Pokemon. He had an idea.

"Guys...we're going to have a little battle amongst ourselves. More precisely, you two are going to have a friendly battle. Like a spar. Not to see who's better, but to work on your attacks and techniques," Xavier explained.

The two Pokemon nodded.

"Okay, so take opposite ends of this field we're at."

The two of them split, one at each end.

"Okay,_ go_!" Xavier shouted as quietly as he could. The two Pokemon raced toward each other. Eevee was the first to make a move. It quickly sprinted toward Milotic, and launched itself toward it.

Milotic gracefully evaded the attack, and countered with a well-aimed Ice Beam. Eevee struggled as it tried to withstand the attack, but failed. Cold and shook up, it quickly performed a Double Team, making multiple copies of itself. Milotic tried to attack all of them at once with an Icy Wind, which many of the Eevees dodged. Two of the five mirages, however, disappeared.

The real Eevee snook up from behind and hit Milotic with a strong Iron Tail attack. The Milotic was taken aback. Due to its larger size, however, it managed to stay on foot.

Eevee didn't stop at this. Two copies were still left. Milotic lunged toward one and hit it with an Aqua Tail. The Eevee disappeared. Now only the real Eevee and one copy were left. Milotic took a chance, and with its luck, managed to strike the real Eevee. The other one vanished. Eevee managed to withstand the attack and continued fighting.

As the two Pokemon continued to fight, Xavier tried to analyze each one's battle strategy. Milotic seemed to stay calm despite its surroundings, and fight with smoothness and grace. Eevee, however, was hot-headed and attacked furiously, but had surprisingly good defense strategies.

Eevee launched a Shadow Ball once again. Milotic, instead of dodging it, ran toward it and used an Aqua Tail on the Shadow Ball. The force of the Shadow Ball rebounded toward Eevee. Milotic had reflected the attack successfully.

In shock, the Eevee could do nothing but stand and get hit. It was knocked back several feet in the air and landed on its side, but managed to get up feebly.

"Eevee!" The Pokemon shouted. Struggling, it gathered more energy, and shot a larger-than-usual Shadow Ball at Milotic. Again, Milotic reflected it using Aqua Tail.

This time, Eevee was prepared. It ran toward the incoming Shadow Ball swiftly, jumped up, and executed an Iron Tail. Using its own method, the Shadow Ball returned to Milotic. Eevee grinned to itself.

Milotic reflected once again.

Xavier noticed the Shadow Ball was getting bigger and more powerful each time it was rebounded. It probably leeched off the power of the two moves. It was a matter of time before it would get too powerful to rebound.

Milotic seemed to recognize this fact too, and as the Shadow Ball returned back to it the fifth time, it slid out of the way. The Shadow Ball collided with the floor, leaving a crater. The ground shook slightly, almost knocking Xavier off-balance.

The two continued fighting. Milotic then decided for a change and jumped into the water. It swam around in the deep water while Eevee was stuck on land.

Eevee tried to snipe Milotic in the water with numerous Shadow Balls, but missed. Milotic was swimming around near the bottom of the body of water, forming numerous Whirlpools. Eevee looked around curiously, trying to find Milotic in the mass of whirlpools.

"_!!"_

Eevee found itself being pushed by Milotic form behind, and into the whirlpools. Eevee spun around and around, being inflicted with damage. Desperately, it tried to swim out of the spiraling water, but couldn't.

Milotic watched as Eevee struggled in the whirlpool. Suddenly, Eevee formed numerous Shadow Balls in the water. Xavier pondered what it was going to do.

Eevee created about five or six Shadow Balls, which were spinning around it at an insane speed. It then smacked the Shadow Balls with its Iron Tail towards Milotic. GIven the speed boost from the whirlpools, Milotic didn't have time to react and it got smacked by six souped-up Shadow Balls.

The whirlpools finally stopped and Eevee swam out of the water. Milotic was still hanging in there. It shot an Ice Beam as Eevee launched a Shadow Ball. The result was a purple, frozen orb that hung in the air.

Xavier rushed forward. "Guys, that's all for today. You both did _awesome, _even without my help."

It was night now. The full moon hung in the sky and trailed Xavier on his way home.

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All throughout the week, Xavier, Milotic, and Eevee trained with these "night battles." Both Pokemon improved their attack strategies greatly. Their moves enhanced in power as well. Eevee's Shadow Ball was getting more powerful day by day, and its endurance and speed were improving. Milotic's accuracy improved as well as its powerful Water and Ice-type attacks. Its keen movements were raised as well.

Xavier even prepared them for Tate and Liza's battle. The two worked well together, even performing signature combo moves. Eevee would create a Shadow Ball, and the two would work together and bounce the sphere back and forth until Eevee would launch it at maximum power.

Another example would be fusing Milotic's Ice Beam and Eevee's Shadow Ball to create a purple, freezing beam that would render the opponent crippled.

Xavier even noticed Eevee responded to his music, just as Milotic did. Eevee would perk up at jumpy, loud songs that created a lot of noise. Xavier would train Eevee to jump at this beat, attack every time the melody was heard, or launch a Shadow Ball in three counts. The music worked wonders on Eevee's battle strategy.

One night Xavier took his Milotic and his Eevee for one, epic battle that would incorporate everything they've worked on for the past week. He brought a miniature radio with him to broadcast the music to both of them. Xavier turned up a song that neither of them had heard.

Milotic swayed its body gently to the beat as Eevee nodded its head. Milotic attacked as a loud note was struck, spraying numerous, large Bubbles on the field. These Bubbles were stronger and tougher than normal ones. Milotic then released a small, focused Ice Beam on a Bubble. The beam ricocheted off the Bubbles in a peculiar angle to hit Eevee.

Eevee analyzed the beam's travel and leaped up high above the battlefield. It shot three Shadow Balls downward and burst all the bubbles. It then landed and ran toward Milotic while using a Double Team. Four other copies were made.

Milotic listened to the music and struck when the melody was heard. It lashed forward and struck an Eevee. It vanished as the real Eevee snuck upon Milotic and used Bite. Milotic managed to shake Eevee off but still felt injury. The two stood facing each other.

The battle lasted on throughout the night, each performing brilliant strategies that the other one countered. The two were in a dance. A deadly dance, one that used music, a dance that required cunning-edge knowledge of the opponent.

The attacks finally subsided; the battle finally ended. Both Pokemon were tired out. Xavier muted the music.

"...that was amazing!" Xavier exclaimed. He ran toward the two, who were fatigued. He stroked the both of them. "You guys did great."

"...vee," Eevee said weakly, still smiling. He looked up to Xavier, with big, trusting eyes, and collapsed.

Xavier shook Eevee. "Eevee! What happened? Stand up!" He said, with worry in his voice.

"..."

Eevee didn't say anything, but lay on its side.

"Eevee! I'm sorry I pushed you so hard!" Xavier wailed desperately. "I'm sorry, Eevee!"

The Eevee managed to look up at Xavier and smile weakly. Suddenly, a bright white light enveloped Eevee and cloaked it with brightness.

"Is this..." Xavier shielded himself from the white light with his arm.

The brightness stopped, and the white light vanished. Xavier looked up to Eevee. If it could be called Eevee now.

Instead of a small, brown fox-like creature, a dark, crimson-eyed creature with dark pupils and yellow rings around its ears and tail.

"Umbreon," it said.

Xavier stared at this new creature. He whipped out his Pokedex and analyzed the newfound Pokemon. So his Eevee evolved! That was quick. It had only been a week, but Xavier figured he pushed his Eevee and trained it hard.

"All right!" He pumped a fist in the air.

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The next day Xavier was off to train his new Dark-type. He release his Umbreon and tried out all of the new moves that his once-Eevee learned.

"All right...let's see," Xavier said absently. He looked at his Pokedex, checking the abilities. "Try out a Faint Attack, Umbreon."

The Umbreon obeyed quietly, and rushed toward the dummy scarecrow. It drew in close to the scarecrow, and, for a second, it seemed like Umbreon disappeared. Then it reappeared suddenly, striking the dummy with its tail powerfully.

"Uh..." said Xavier, still staring at his Pokedex, not paying attention that much. "Now a Dark Pulse."

Umbreon gathered energy, and its yellow rings glowed. Its eyes glowed as well, and it unleashed a wave of dark energy. It blew the scarecrow down, as well as knock Xavier to the floor.

"Woah," Xavier said.

The next hour or two Xavier trained Umbreon. Its Shadow Ball was much more powerful an larger than normal. Its speed and stamina increased. It learned a plethora of new moves, such as Faint Attack, Assurance, Toxic, Moonlight, Mean Look, Payback, and much more. Xavier had the privilege of watching and perfecting all these techniques.

After a while of sparring, Xavier managed to get all of Milotic's and Umbreon's techniques perfected.

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Xavier stood in front of the Mossdeep City Gym.

_I will be here soon, _he thought.

_Very soon. _


	5. Combination Catastrophe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor am I related to Game Freak/NIntendo in any way. I do own Xavier. **

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Two pokeballs in hand, a certain red-haired trainer, headphones around ears, walked the path into Mossdeep CIty. He ignored the other buildings he passed by, instead of only staring at the Mossdeep Gym he was slowly approaching.

Once he approached the door, he took a deep breath.

"Okay... I'm finally here," he said to himself calmly. He looked at his two Pokeballs. "With these two, I can beat them. I know I can."

He took one last deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened the doors confidently. He opened his eyes, and instead of seeing Liza and Tate, he saw a bunch of sliding tiles, and numerous switches located near the panels. He looked around, confused, and saw the two twin Gym Leaders far away on the other side of the gym.

Cautiously, Xavier stepped on one of the sliding tiles. Suddenly, it slid and whisked him away forward and to the left. He lost balance and fell.

"How am I supposed to get there?"

Xavier stepped on another tile, and that one slid him away as well. After numerous attempts to find the right slide, he decided to pull one of the switches. He saw that a whole path of tiles switched in the opposite direction. He stepped on the new, opposite tiles and it whisked him to another switch, which he pulled.

It was a matter of trial-and-error.

Many switches and slides later, he found himself on the platform of the two Leaders. He walked up to them, and they started talking.

"Hehehe... Were you surprised?" the male leader asked.

"Hehehe... Were you surprised?" the female one repeated.

"That there are two Gym Leaders?" the male one asked.

"That there are two Gym Leaders?" the female repeated again.

"Um... no, actually. I knew that there were-" Xavier started, but he was cut off.

"We're twins!" the male one said, again.

"We're twins!" the female repeated.

"Actually, that's kind of obvious because-" the redhead started, but was cut off by the two again.

"We don't need to talk because..." the male one started.

"We can each determine what..." the female continued.

"The other is thinking..." the male one said, which Xavier figured by now was Tate.

"All in our minds!" Liza finally finished.

"...that's kind of freaky," Xavier said.

"This combination of ours..." Tate said.

"Can you beat it?" Liza finally finished.

"YES!" Xavier said confidently. He tossed to Pokeballs in the air. "Go, Milotic and Umbreon!"

A majestic serpent materialized along with a dark, cat-like Pokemon. At the same time, Tate and Liza released their Pokemon.

A red, sun-shaped rock Pokemon with protruding yellow spikes appeared alongside a brown, crescent-shaped pokemon with dark, crimson eyes.

One could immediately see a type advantage on Xavier's side. With both a Water-type, which is super-effective against Rock-types, and a Dark-type, which is immune to Psychic attacks, Xavier had a good chance of winning.

Tate and Liza didn't seem to falter. Tate gave the first command.

"Sunny Day, Solrock!"

The sun Pokemon did as it was told. It magnified the sun's rays coming through the hole in the roof.

"Now, Solrock, Solarbeam!"

The Solrock launched a full-scale Grass type attack at Milotic without charge up time thanks to the sun's rays. Milotic managed to dodge the super-effective attack by a few inches.

Xavier admitted it was a good move. Not only will Solrock be able to launch numerous super-effective Solarbeams at Milotic, but Milotic's Water-type attacks will be weakened severly, denting them by 50%. Xavier wondered if Solrock had any Fire-type moves in its move set, which will be unfortunate due to Sunny Day multiplying Fire moves by 50%.

Almost as if reading his mind (which is entirely possible), Tate commanded, "Flamethrower!"

The fire move blazed toward Umbreon, who managed to leap in the air and dodge the attack.

"Psychic, Lunatone!" Liza said. The Lunatone focused its mind powers on the Flamethrower, effortlessly re-directing it toward Umbreon. Due to lack of movement in mid-air, Umbreon got hit by a massive, power-boosted Flamethrower. Luckily, due to Umbreon's high defenses, it didn't do much.

The Dark Pokemon stood back up, ready to fight.

Now it was Xavier's turn.

"Umbreon, Dark Pulse while Milotic, use Surf!"

Umbreon's rings glowed as it unleashed a dark wave of energy around it. Solrock and Lunatone used their floatation to dodge the pulse, but got washed down as the giant wave of water both hit them.

Tate shouted, "Ancientpower, Solrock!" Meanwhile, Liza said, "Set up a Light Screen!"

Solrock, using its psychic powers, launched numerous large rocks at the two opposing foes. With quick footwork and body movement, Milotic and Umbreon managed to dodge most of the flying rocks. Milotic got hit by a rock, and was knocked backward, but managed to stay steady.

The distraction caused by Solrock's Ancientpower enabled Lunatone to set up a successful Light Screen. The two Meteorite Pokemon hid behind the protective Barrier.

"Try to break the Light Screen using your combos!" Xavier said.

Umbreon managed to make a Shadow Ball, and the two rebounded it back and forth, each hit causing the Shadow Ball to get more powerful. Umbreon launched the Shadow Ball at maximum power and the impact caused the Light Screen to shatter.

Umbreon reacted quickly and jumped up in the air. It somersaulted, and performed a powerful Iron Tail that connected with Lunatone's body. The super-effective Steel attack managed to take a large chunk of Lunatone's health.

Sensing Lunatone in danger, Liza gave a command accordingly. "Use Double Team! While it's distracted, perform many Calm Minds!"

The Lunatone made many copies of itself, surrounding both Milotic and Umbreon.

Tate followed, "Solrock! Solarbeam them!" Solrock shot numerous Solarbeams at the two, while the Lunatone army closed in on them.

Xavier grit his teeth worryingly. It was a matter of time before the two would be trapped.

"Umbreon, perform a Double Team yourself! Milotic, hit the Lunatone clones with an Aqua Tail!"

Both Pokemon did as they were told. Umbreon created copies to match Lunatone's quantity, and both the Umbreon army and Lunatone army attacked each other ferociously. Milotic smashed many clones with its powerful tail attack, erasing them one-by-one.

"Umbreon, finish this off! Dark Pulse!" Xavier said.

Umbreon unleashed the dark energy once more, effectively wiping out the Lunatone army. It even managed to hit Solrock, though the real Lunatone remained out of the attack range.

Now, with many Calm Minds under its belt, Lunatone had a maxed-out Special Attack power.

"Use a powerful Psychic attack, Lunatone!" Liza yelled.

Lunatone shot a peculiar colored ray out of its red eyes and launched it toward Milotic.

"Umbreon, jump in front of Milotic!"

Umbreon leapt just in time before the attack hit. The powerful Psychic move did nothing against Umbreon's body, thanks to its Dark typing. Xavier grinned.

"Now, both of you counterattack using the combo!"

Umbreon charged itself up, yellow rings glowing. Milotic did too, and both launched at the same time. Umbreon shot a yellow Hyper Beam attack, with Milotic's Hydro Pump encircling it. The combined power of the beam made its way through the battlefield and hit Solrock with tremendous power. Solrock didn't stand a chance and after the beam subsided, it looked almost defeated.

"..." Tate looked at his Pokemon. "You did well, Solrock. One last move!" He pointed forward.

"_Explosion_!"

The result was a giant explosion that emerged from Solrock, engulfing the battlefield in its blast radius. The flames went everywhere, igniting the battlefield and kicking up dust. Xavier shielded his eyes with his arms. Rocks were launched upward, sand went everywhere. The Explosion finally subsided. Xavier looked at the results.

Solrock fainted, lying on the floor unconscious. Milotic was heavily damaged, though not fainted. Umbreon, however, wasn't so lucky. The Hyper Beam attack took much of Umbreon's energy, and Xavier figured it was too tired to dodge.

"You deserve a rest," Xavier said, satisfied. He recalled his Umbreon.

Now it was one-on-one. Milotic versus Lunatone.

"Heal yourself, Milotic! Recover!"

Milotic glowed a slightly yellow color, and restored a chunk of its health.

Now that Solrock was gone, the sun's rays returned to normal.

"Rain Dance!" Xavier said.

The Milotic did a strange dance, and rain began pouring down on the battlefield.

"Dragonbreath!"

The Milotic let out a fiery blast, aiming toward Lunatone. The breath left a fiery trail as it tried to track the moving Lunatone. The Lunatone went this way and that, dodging the dragon attack.

"Time to counterattack! Lunatone, take advantage of the rain, and use Charge Beam!" Liza said.

Lunatone shot a yellow, shocking beam that whizzed fast in the rain. It flew toward Milotic at a lightning-fast speed.

"Quick, Milotic, use Protect!"

Milotic quickly formed a protective shield in front of it, blocking the powerful Charge Beam. It struggled against the powerful attack, but managed to protect itself. The shield dissipated just as the beam vanished.

Xavier was worried. "Let's end this. Milotic, Surf!"

Milotic summoned a giant wave that crashed down on the battlefield harshly. Lunatone got damaged heavily, but still survived.

_How much damage could this thing take? _Xavier thought to himself.

Liza still remained cool and calm. "Lunatone, Hypnosis!"

Lunatone fired a bunch of waves that followed Milotic's movement. Milotic tried to dodge, but the waves managed to put Milotic to sleep.

"Dream Eater while it's asleep!"

Lunatone's eyes glowed as Xavier watched his Milotic toss and turn in its sleep. Lunatone, after its attack, looked like it didn't recover much. Milotic, after struggling, got up.

"Milotic, Recover again!"

"Oh no you don't!" Liza said. "Heal Block!"

Before Milotic could recover, Lunatone shot a psychic wave that surrounded Milotic. Milotic found itself unable to heal its injuries.

"..."

_I'm in a position with little health and I'm unable to heal myself...the opponent is weak too, _Xavier thought.

Xavier decided to finish the battle off with a last-ditch, powerful attack.

"Giga Impact, Milotic!"

"Do the same, Lunatone!"

The two Pokemon launched themselves toward each other, eyes locked, each determined to send the other to oblivion.

_BOOM!_

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**Reviews are appreciated. Thanks. A little note, though. This will be a typical trainer adventure until a future chapter, where things get more intricate and deep. **


	6. Departure

**Disclaimer- I do not own Pokemon nor am I related to Game Freak/Nintendo in any way. I do own the OCs. **

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Xavier waited for the dust to settle.

After a few minutes, which seemed like hours, the dust seemed to clear, revealing two very battered Pokemon, lying on the ground. Milotic lay motionless on the floor and Lunatone lay not too far away from it. Both Pokemon seemed unconscious, neither able to move or attack.

A draw?

Xavier looked at Milotic pleadingly. Liza did the same to her Lunatone.

Slowly, but steadily, both Pokemon got up, each using the last drop of their stamina. Both cried out weakly, still determined to win. Lunatone slowly levitated above the ground, floating toward Milotic with wary eyes.

Milotic looked at its opponent carefully. Then without warning, it made a very small ball of water, which it launched slowy toward Lunatone.

Lunatone, in its near-exhausted state, got hit by the ball and fainted. Milotic, by using the small water attack, fainted a few seconds after.

Tate and Liza both looked at Lunatone in shock.

"What? Our combination..." Tate started again.

"Was shattered!" Liza continued.

"It can't be helped. You've won..." Tate said.

"So, in recognition, take this." Liza said.

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a shiny looking Mind Badge.

Tate started again, "Looks like the bond between you and your Pokemon are stronger than the bond we share as twins."

"You will get even stronger. We've battled you, so we know." Liza finished, and gave Xavier another gift. It was a technical machine.

"Take this. It's the technical machine for Calm Mind." Liza said to Xavier.

"Teach Calm Mind to a Pokemon and watch it boost up its special stats!" Tate informed.

Xavier accepted both gifts gratefully. "Thank you."

With that, Xavier left the gym, badge in a special case and TM in his bag. A few paces later, he shout out a cheer, and had a spring in his step all the way home. Victory was his.

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"So long, Mom!"

Late that afternoon, Xavier had shown his mother his badge and his newly trained Pokemon. His mother was very proud, and congratulated him. Xavier, after long hours of thinking, decided to leave Mossdeep and collect all the badges in the Hoenn, and catch more Pokemon.

His mother had been startled by Xavier's ambitions, but decided to let him go. Many kids set off their journey around Xavier's age anyway. Xavier packed his bag and was going to leave now.

As he slowly surfed away on his Milotic, the waving figure of his mother slowly disappeared in the horizon. Xavier was left alone, in the ocean, sitting atop Milotic. He pulled out his Pokedex (map built in), and checked for the closest city.

It looks like Lilycove is the place to go, Xavier thought. He closed his Pokedex and weaded westward.

After many hours, Xavier was still surrounded by ocean. He ate some food he packed, and managed to make himself fall asleep to make the trip go faster. When he woke up, he saw a speck in the horizon.

"Yes!" Xavier pumped a fist into the air. "Lilycove is in sight!" He jumped up triumphantly.

Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly and slipped into the ocean. Moments later, Milotic watched its trainer sputter up, gasping for air. He was all wet.

Xavier climbed back onto Milotic. He managed to save most of his food, money, and his Pokedex was waterproof. Umbreon was still safe in its Pokeball. However, some unlucky sandwiches were soaked and most of his clothes were wet.

"Oh well," Xavier sighed. "I guess I'll deal with it when we reach land."

About half and hour later, Xavier reached Lilycove. Folk nearby would have saw a strange sight. A young red haired boy, soaking wet, riding onto the beach atop a Milotic, looking for a place he could stay.

Xavier tried to dry himself in the sun, but it wasn't hot enough. He toured the new city he had traveled to. He stared in wonder at the tall buildings and stores located around. Mossdeep didn't compare to Hoenn's largest city. Xavier explored the Lilycove Mall, and found a huge amount of trainer equipment. One shopping spree, Xavier had completely stocked up on Pokeballs and other items.

He visited the museum, full of ancient artifacts and ancient seafare tools. He also found some Pokeball fossils. He stumbled upon the Pokemon fan club, where he heard gossip about trainers and their skills.

Lastly, Xavier visited the Contest Hall where coordinators would show off their dressed Pokemon and wow the judges with fancy moves.

He managed to find a motel he could stay in for a few days. After paying the money, he went to his room, took a steaming shower, and fell asleep right as he hit the bed.

Nightttime in Lilycove is pitch black. A small Zigzagoon poked its head out of a bush, finding some food to eat.

_Thump, thump...CRASH!_

Quick as a dart, the raccoon Pokemon hid back in the bushes. It poked its head out of the bushes to see what had made the noises.

It saw four dark figures. One was ahead of the other four, who were carrying a large bag. The ones with the bag apparently dropped it, causing the crash.

"Quick. We don't have much time," the first one said. It was definitely female.

One of the four panted. "Coming..." This one was male.

"It's not damaged, is it?" the female voice asked. She looked at the male in worry.

"No... it's fine," one of the males said. "You can look for yourself."

The female ignored them. "Never mind. Hurry up if you guys want to get this job finished. The boss said it has to be done tonight, or else we'd have screwed up everything."

The men groaned while carrying the heavy machine, and followed. The group was apparently heading up a tall mountain. Zigzagoon watched as the crowd slowly became small specks up the mountain, then whipped around and ran back to its home.

The next day, Xavier encouraged himself to explore areas surrounding Lilycove. After visiting numerous shops and visiting residents, he walked westward to discover some wild grass and a small dock. He went to the edge.

An eldery woman was standing on the dock. She spotted Xavier and pointed her wrinkly finger toward a mountain.

"Mt. Pyre...is there..." she said ominously. Xavier was creeped out, so he quickly surfed away on his Milotic. Minutes later he was climbing up Mt. Pyre, and with all the climbing and battling with the annoying Shuppet and Duskull, he was tired. When Xavier finally reached the top, he took a breather.

Xavier continued forward through the thick fog, unable to see anything. With no direction sense, he just continued moving forward and forward, as if the fog was infinite.

_BANG!_

"Ow! Dang..." Xavier rubbed his head. He looked at what he crashed into. His eyes widened in surprise.

He was staring at a huge satellite, mounted at the very peak of Mt. Pyre. It sported an enourmous radar dish, and a pointy tip. The whole structure was complicated, and strange eerie noises emitted from the dish. The base was almost translucent, and Xavier could see through it slightly. A strange green glow came from inside the machine.

Even thought Xavier had never been here before, he knew this satellite wasn't part of Mt. Pyre. He was determined to figure out how it got here.

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**Sorry for the short chapter. I didn't have a lot of time. But this one's the beginning of a semi-important plot line, so stay tuned. **

**Special thanks to BlueStripedPolo for spotting many mistakes I had in previous chapters that I should've proofread myself. **

**Chapters are going to get a little harder to get out, so please be patient. Thanks and please review. **


	7. Shocks & Surprises

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor am I related to Game Freak/Nintendo in any way. I do own the OCs. **

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Running his hand over the metal, Xavier investigated the satellite closely. It was built with to work at high altitudes signified by its heavy plating to protect it. The machine also had water-proof parts.

Turning his attention away from the machine, he spotted a small hut. Wondering who would live at such a place, he walked over to the house cautiously and knocked the door. An elderly man answered.

"Excuse me, sir," Xavier started. "Did you notice the giant satellite in your...er...front yard?"

"Eh? Giant satellite?" The old man turned. "Dear!"

Minutes later, an eldery woman stood beside the man.

"Let's have a look at this contraption," they said. They followed Xavier to the machine.

"Oh my..." the eldery man gasped.

Xavier questioned them. "Do you have any idea why people would do this?"

The woman shook her head. "No....but...."

She headed toward the tip of the mountain, where Xavier spotted two small statues, each holding up a small orb. One was a crimson red color, the other a dazzling shade of blue. The woman looked relieved.

"Thank heaven these orbs weren't stolen. They could cause terrible things too happen..."

Xavier decided not to pursue information about the two orbs. He questioned the the couple some more, and didn't get much information. With a disappointed look he headed down the mountain.

"The satellite is up and running, sir," a female voice said.

"Good..." a deep voice replied. "Now, your group will scout areas nearby in an attempt to search for _it. _I have other groups stationed throughout the region, looking for it as well. My contacts inform me that it's been last sighted around Lilycove."

"Will do, sir," came the reply.

"Off you go."

Xavier returned to Lilycove, still upset he couldn't do anything. In an attempt to distract himself, he trained his Pokemon in tall patches of grass. He seemed fine, but inside he was dying to know _who _put the satellite up there, and _why. _

Lost in thought, he walked straight into another person.

"Oof...sorry," he said. He looked up to the person he crashed into.

It was a light-skinned man, dressed in a dark uniform. Looking carefully, Xavier spotted a two purple marks on the breast area of the uniform, spiraling around each other. The man wore dark gloves and ignored Xavier. He walked straight ahead.

Curious, Xavier silently followed. He hid in the tall grass. After fifteen minutes or so, Xavier watched the man walk up to another figure dressed in the same uniform. They conversed. Xavier tried to listen and creeped as close as he could, but he only heard a few words.

"...command...scout...it..."

Minutes ticked away and the other figure nodded. The original man walked away from the second figure and Xavier decided to pursue the new figure. He stalked the figure carefully. This one took much longer. Half and hour went by. He almost fell asleep when the figure did something strange.

Xavier watched as the figure approached the tree. The figure did a quick 180-degree turn to see if the coast was clear. Xavier managed to conceal himself.

The figure tossed a Pokeball in the air. Out popped a green-and-black Cacturne.

"Secret Power!"

Cacturne used its needle arms to pry out a vine from the tree. The figure recalled its Pokemon and tugged the vine five times. Xavier watched in amazement as the front of the tree open up and let the figure in. A secret entrance!

The figure disappeared, leaving Xavier thinking if he should go in.

_Where did that person go?_

Xavier warily approached the tree. The vine was still hanging. Shaking, he tugged the branch. He counted mentally.

_One. Two. Three._

_Four. _

_Five. _

He jumped back when the tree's entrance opened. He could see only black. He stepped inside in what appeared to be a small room. The entrance closed.

In the darkness, Xavier could feel a button located in the front. An elevator?

He pushed it and felt the machine go down and down.

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The doors slid open, revealing light.

Xavier jumped out to what looked like a giant hallway made up of iron-hard plates. He was lucky. No one was around. Quickly, he dashed toward the left to see a bunch of doors, each labeled.

He couldn't stick around long. He stood out to much. Unless...

Sprinting to the C Section, Xavier found a door marked 'closet.' He burst inside to see a rack of dark uniforms each sporting the same symbol he saw before. He found the smallest size and slipped it on. He pulled up the hood to conceal his face and re-entered the hallway.

It seemed there were more floors. Xavier walked into the elevator room once again and found a different button. He felt himself going up.

The doors opened and Xavier found himself in another hallway, almost identical to the other, except there were numerous other uniformed figures. Disguising himself amongst the crowd, he followed the majority of them. They led him into a different room. Xavier could see small, green lights glowing, similiar to the one he saw in the satellite, and could hear strange bubbling noises. He continued following them.

All of a sudden, the crowd scattered. Each person went to a different place. With the crowd gone, Xavier could easily see all the things around him.

Long, glass pillars were located all around the room, each filled with a strange, green/yellow substance resembling a lava lamp. The pillars were connected to a wire, which led a giant glass dome. Looking around him, Xavier saw more tubes in the sky. These had red globs of energy traveling all in the same direction. Studying more closely, Xavier realized the tubes were being pumped by the uniformed figures, who were pulling levers back and forth.

Sensing that he was in danger, Xavier walked out the same way he came in. He had seen enough for one day, and was determined to come back tomorrow to investigate some more. After returning the uniform, he stepped in the elevator and back to Lilycove.

The next day, Xavier purchased a TM that taught Secret Power. He taught it to his Umbreon and headed back to the same tree he went to yesterday. He dropped his Pokeball in shock.

The tree wasn't there anymore. In its place was a stump.

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Xavier decided not to chase the matter anymore. They were gone. They probably moved their base somewhere undetectable. Though he was still curious to what the people were up to, he gave up for now.

He headed south, past Mt. Pyre, and landed east of Mauville City. Xavier was headed toward Mauville and wanted to attempt to beat Watson, the leader of the Mauville City Gym, who specialized in Electric-type Pokemon. His Milotic was in need of training. Training on wild Pokemon was slow, so Xavier seeked a trainer.

He spotted one.

"Hey, you!" Xavier shouted.

The trainer turned, revealing platinum blonde hair. He gazed at Xavier with his cold, hazel eyes.

"Yes?" He replied calmly.

"Can you battle me?" Xavier asked. "For training."

The other trainer stood still for a moment.

"Fine by me," he finally replied.

"Good. We'll battle with only one Pokemon," Xavier said.

The two walked to opposite ends of the route they were on. They sent out their Pokemon.

"Milotic!" Xavier cried. The serpent materialized, ready to battle.

Xavier's opponent sent out his Pokeball. The laser materialized into a bipedal, dark furred creature with a curved horn on its head. Xavier's Pokedex recognized it as an Absol.

"Time for this battle to start!" Xavier said. He turned up his music loudly. A fast-pitched song was heard. "Let's go, Milotic! Ice Beam on every third beat!"

Milotic responded and shot many Ice Beams in rapid succession.

"Dodge, Absol," the other trainer replied. Absol, with a sudden movement, skillfully evaded all the freezing beams.

"Counterattack with a Night Slash!"

Absol rushed toward Milotic, its horn glowing an eerie color. Before Milotic could respond, it was rammed with a powerful cut. Milotic slid backward, enduring the attack.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Break it with a Psycho Cut!"

The dark Pokemon ran toward the pump of water, horn glowing a pink color. It struck headfirst, cutting the powerful water attack in half. Milotic tried to power up the attack, but failed. Absol broke through and slashed Milotic.

Milotic, struck again, slid back further.

"Hang in there!" Xavier encouraged. "Try to evade attack while using Aqua Ring!"

Milotic acted, and swiftly moved around to dodge its opponent's attacks. The ring around it healed its health slowly but steadily.

"Absol, the ring! Destroy it with Shock Wave!"

Milotic couldn't dodge the lightning-fast wave that erupted from Absol's horn. The super-effective hit shattered the Aqua Ring and dealt massive damage to the Water Pokemon. It cried in pain, and fell down to the ground shocked, but clinging with a bit of stamina.

"Finish this, Absol. Razor Wind!"

Absol stood still gathering energy in front of it in a swirling formation. The spinning energy spiraled faster and faster, until Absol unleashed the energy in the form of razor-sharp crescents. The crescents zoomed toward Milotic.

"Dodge, Milotic!" Xavier commanded worringly.

Milotic tried to dodge, but the wind was too fast. The attack blew through Milotic, leaving visible damage marks all over its body. Milotic, fatigued and injured, fell to the ground.

Xavier ran over to Milotic.

"Don't worry..." He recalled Milotic to his Pokeball.

He didn't even manage to land one attack on the opponent's Absol. Milotic would have to be able to counter electric-type attacks, Xavier thought. _That Shock Wave attack was devastating..._

He looked over to the other trainer, who all ready turned his back and was walking away, Pokeball in hand.

"Hey! Hey!" Xavier ran toward him, hands waving. "What's your name?!"

The trainer turned around and gazed at Xavier directly in the eye.

"The name's Cecil Bishop."

With that, he turned around and left Xavier behind.

After watching Cecil fade into the distance, Xavier headed toward the nearest Pokemon Center.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Managed to squeeze this chapter in pretty fast. I want to get as much as I can before school starts in 2 days (including today.) **

**A little preview of what's going to happen in the future. The villians' appearance will be sprinkled throughout the story in different chapters (meaning you'll see a bit of them here and there) but are more important near the end of the story. **

**Thanks to all who read, and review pl0x. **


	8. Pitiful

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor am I related to Game Freak/Nintendo in any way. I do own the OCs. **

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"Full restore, please," Xavier handed over the Pokeball to the nurse. He sat down while he was waiting for the healing proccess to complete. He glanced at a map pasted on the wall next to him.

_Hmmm... I'm in Mauville, so that would be here... and Mossdeep would be....woah, that's a long way!_

"It's complete," the nurse said, and Xavier stood up to retrieve his Pokeball. He left the center, whipped out his headphones, and made his way to the Mauville City Gym.

Watson, the leader, specialized in Electric-type Pokemon. Xavier needed to train before he could face-off against the leader, and also catch two more Pokemon to have the same amount of Pokemon as Watson. Looking at his PokeNav, he tried to locate the nearest place he could train.

He found the answer north.

Confidently, he strode in said direction, toward the blistering desert, focused on his goal.

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"Ack!" Xavier put his arms up, trying to shield his face from the all the blistering sandstorms. He spit out a bunch of sand that got into his mouth and closed one eye while to trying to look for a way out of the nasty wind. He spotted several other trainers standing around him calmly, as if not affected by the wind.

Fighting against the wind, Xavier staggered toward one of the trainers. The trainer turned their head to him. Xavier could clearly see a pair of goggles around his head, providing protection.

"Where..*cough*...do you...ack...get...thpfpfpf...goggles?" Xavier managed to sputter out. The trainer looked confused. Xavier pointed a finger at the trainer's goggles, then lifted his shoulders and made the universal 'I don't know" pose.

The trainer nodded. He reached into his backpack and pulled something. Xavier recognized it as the goggles. He took them graciously and slipped them on, and felt much better.

Just as he was about to leave, the trainer held out his hand, palm up, and wagged some fingers toward himself. Sighing, Xavier dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumbled paper note. He left it in the other person's hand. He walked away.

Xavier searched around the desert looking for his Pokemon. After what seemed like hours, he stopped to take a rest on a rock. It seemed like the desert went on forever. He was tired.

_I need some water... _Xavier thought.

Just as he was reaching for his canteen for a sip, he spotted something in the distance. Xavier squinted his eyes. He could make out a small, red creature, scurrying around the desert on all its legs.

Cautiously, Xavier walked toward it, one step at a time.

_Crackle._

Xavier had stepped on a branch in the middle of the desert. It caught the attention of the red ant-like creature and it ran toward Xavier as fast as it could. Xavier froze, trying not to be noticed. He failed, though, and the creature ran toward him, jaws open.

_Oh, snap. _Xavier thought to himself. He took off as fast as he could. The red creature followed, showing off its sharp teeth.

Gasping, Xavier aimed his Pokedex toward the creature. After a brief explanation, Xavier learned all about Trapinch. He continued running, almost to his last drop of energy. Trapinch still followed, not looking fatigued at all.

Xavier collapsed of fatigue. He expected the Trapinch to bite him. Instead, it crawled onto Xavier, still lying on the ground. Xavier felt the Pokemon get off. Standing back up, he realized his badge case was missing. Trapinch had gotten ahold of it and was scurrying away.

"No!" Xavier shouted, chasing after it. Minutes later, however, Xavier figured he couldn't catch up. He reached for a Pokeball.

"Milotic!" Out popped the serpent.

"Ice Beam on the floor, and slide after that Trapinch!"

Milotic obeyed, and creating a slippery path on the desert floor. Xavier rode Milotic and chased after the Milotic with speed. Milotic kept creating an ice path, pursuing the ant Pokemon. Trapinch realized what was going on and tried to dodge. It performed a Dig and went deep underground.

"I need my badge back," Xavier said. "Milotic, Hydro Pump into the tunnel to get the Trapinch out!"

MIlotic sprayed a pump of water into the tunnel in which Trapinch digged in. A few tense moments later, the ground rumbled and out burst Trapinch, badge case in mouth, all wet with water.

Xavier tried to lunge for Trapinch, but it got away.

"After it!" Xavier leapt onto Milotic as it once again trailed Trapinch. Soon the sandstorm became stronger. Grains of sand whipped against Xavier's face and many pebbles knocked into him. Xavier could barely make out Trapinch in the distance.

"...there," Xavier pointed at the shadow in the distance, which Milotic slowly slithered to.

Trapinch seemed to stop moving, as if it gave up. That wasn't the case, however.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" _ Xavier screamed, as he fell down and down, arms flailing.

_Thud._

After a rough landing, Xavier found himself in a large hole, alongside Milotic, who was equally injured. Xavier inspected his bruises. His PokeDex had warned about Trapinch's habit of making large pits to capture its prey. If only he'd paid a liitle more attention...

"Pinch!" Xavier heard, his neck instantly looked up. There was Trapinch, showing off a little victory smirk. It ran away with Xavier's badge.

Xavier kicked the pit wall. He wanted to travel all around the Hoenn raising Pokemon, how was he able to do that if he had to be stuck in a pit for the rest of his life?

Xavier looked up and measured the distance between him and the top of the pit. His fingers edged his Pokeball on his belt. The distance wasn't so high, and he was pretty strong, so...

"Humph!"

Using all his strength, he tossed a Pokeball upwards. Luckily, it managed to just reach the top before opening to reveal Umbreon. The Moonlight Pokemon looked confusingly at its trainer, deep below it.

"Umbreon!" Xavier called. "Try to find someone who could help!"

Umbreon nodded. It took off, leaving Milotic and Xavier alone in the pit.

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The dark Pokemon's eyes darted around, looking for a trainer that could help. No one in the desert seemd to have any Pokeballs. It looked like the search had to go on.

Umbreon darted toward Mauville, leaping over rocks and dogding other citizens and tourists.

It finally reached town.

There!

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Xavier crouched in the pit. Milotic wrapped itself around him. After what seemed forever, he spotted Umbreon at the top.

He leapt up.

"Umbreon, did you find anybody?"

The dark Pokemon nodded. Seconds later, another figure appeared above the pit. It was a girl with light blonde hair curled upward. She took her goggles off to reveal violet eyes.

"Woah, how'd you get yourself down there?" the girl asked.

"Long story. Can you help use get out of here?"

The girl stood up and released a Pokeball. "Go, Ivysaur!"

The Grass Pokemon materialized.

"Use a Vine Whip to get that trainer and his Pokemon out!"

Xavier saw two dark green vines crawl down the pit and wrap themselves around him. They hoisted him up out of the pit. Milotic followed.

"Thanks," Xavier said. He put out a hand. "Xavier Omnik."

The girl shook it. "Luna Cosmos." She returned her Ivysaur back into her Pokeball.

"Nice meeting you," Luna chirped. "But I gotta go." She called out another Pokemon, an Aerodactyl. She put her goggles back on and hopped onto Aerodactyl's back. The Pokemon took off, carrying Luna with it. She rode off into the sandstorm.

Xavier watched her fly away, then resumed his original plan.

"'Kay..." Xavier tried to find Trapinch. No sight. "We'll split up and try to look for Trapinch. It could be anywhere in the desert. Milotic, you go north, Umbreon, south, and all scout east and west. We'll meet here forty-five minutes later."

"Go!"

XXX

Xavier spied around, looking for the red Pokemon. The sandstorm had lessened, making it easier for Xavier to see. He hid behind rocks and tried to stealthily scout around for it. No luck. He tried to dig for the Trapinch, but human hands weren't meant for digging that deeply. Half and hour later, he still couldn't find the Trapinch. He wondered how Umbreon and Milotic would be doing.

XXX

Milotic slithered around the desert, destroying rocks with a powerful Dragon Pulse, trying to see what was behind it. Trapinch was nowhere nearby. Milotic performed a Hydro Pump around itself, making the sand more moist. It dug into the soft sand, hoping to find Trapinhc. No luck here either. Milotic wondered how Xavier and Umbreon would be doing.

XXX

Umbreon leapt across the landscape, searching for the ant Pokemon. Umbreon scouted the land strategically, planning a route that would take him all around the desert. After jumping over many obstacles and fighting against the sandstorm, it couldn't find Trapinch despite the well-planned searching route. Umbreon wondered how Xavier and Milotic were getting along.

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"Well, guys, it seemed we couldn't find the rogue Trapinch," Xavier said, exasperated. "We'll have to-"

Suddenly, a flash of red caught Xavier's eye. He whipped around to find Trapinch not too far away. He exclaimed, "After it!"

Xavier rode Milotic as Umbreon dashed for a head start, quickly gaining on the Trapinch. Milotic fired Water Guns at the Trapinch, hoping to hit it. Trapinch managed to dodge all the attacks.

Umbreon stored energy as it was running. Its eyes glowed as it released a Shadow Ball directly in front of it. It hit the Trapinch dead-on. The ant Pokemon stumbled and let go of the badge case. Xavier ran toward it and got retrieved the case. Xavier put it back on his belt.

"Now that you're weakened, I think I'll capture you." Xavier said. He tossed a Pokeball at the Trapinch. It wobbled, but Trapinch burst back out.

"What?" Xavier exclaimed. "Umbreon, try another Shadow Ball!"

Umbreon launched a purple orb, but Trapinch dodged it.

"Milotic, Hydro Pump while Umbreon, Dark Pulse

Milotic fired the water attack while Umbreon released the energy wave. Trapinch jumped up to dodge the Dark Pulse, but got directly hit by the Hydro Pump. It collapsed.

Xavier tossed another Pokeball at the Trapinch hopefully. It wobbled three times and Trapinch was caught.

"Yes!"

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Xavier happily took his Pokeball to the Pokemon Center, and restored his newfound Trapinch to full health. He had another Pokemon to raise. One more to capture and raise and he'll be ready to face-off against Mauville's Watson. He had a lot of work.

Better get started.

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**School's started, so updates are going to be less frequent. Expect one chapter a week, somewhere near the weekends. It might not be every week, though, there'll be some exceptions. **

**Reviews appreciated, as always. **


	9. Battle Tent Brawl

**Dislcaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor am I related to Game Freak/Nintendo in any way. I do own the OCs. **

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"I must say, you're a very strong trainer," Wattson said. "You've gone through my elaborate gym full of traps, and have gotten me to my last Pokemon." He laughed. "Well, let's see how this turns out. Go, Magneton!"

A Pokeball was released, revealing a magnetic creature with three eyes. It buzzed.

"_Magneton," _the Pokemon said robotically.

On the opposite end of the battlefield, a boy stood silently. His eyes were covered by his shiny platinum hair which fell across his head in spikes. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a gleaming Ultra Ball. He tossed it into the air and a bright-haired Absol materialized.

"Flamethrower, Absol," the boy commanded.

Absol launched the powerful flame. Magneton found itself barely dodging a full-out focused beam of fire.

"Magneton, strike back with a Zap Cannon!" Wattson said.

After recovering from dodging the flame attack, Magneton set all of its magnets together and started discharging electricity in front of it. Soon the discharged electricity was centered into a ball. Magneton released the orb, and it was speeding toward the Absol.

"Detect."

Before the orb hit, Absol focused its eyes on it. Its paws glowed, and a quick swipe later, the zap cannon was countered.

"Now, Sucker Punch it!"

Running toward the Magneton, Absol concentrated energy into its paw. It leapt up, rammed its fist into Magneton's hard magnetic armor. Magneton fell backward onto the ground, dazed.

"Magneton, get back up with Magnet Rise and attack with Shock Wave!" Wattson yelled.

Slowly rising, the Magneton reached full height as it charged electricity. It released the wave

The boy watched the wave of electricity zigzag up and down the battlefield.

"Counter with your own Shock Wave, Absol," he said.

Absol's horn glowed yellow, and it released a similar-looking electric attack. The two waves zigzagged toward each other, and finally collided in the middle of the arena. An explosion occured, and the two trainers awaited to see the result.

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Xavier returned to town, new Pokeball in hand. He strode confidently with a smile plastered on his face. He made his way to a small field near Mauville city, and released the Pokeball. The red laser materialized into a Trapinch.

Trapinch did not feel very pleased about being under ownership of a trainer. It ran off, trying to free itself.

"No! Wait!" Xavier chased after it. Trapinch was still fast, even on normal terrain. Xavier couldn't catch up. Stopping to catch his breath, he noticed a shop. It read:

BIKES

Without stopping to think, Xavier rushed inside and saw a man cleaning some bikes with a rag.

"Why, hello there! Would it interest you purchasing a bike?"

Xavier nodded frantically.

"Good! Let's see... there's two types of bikes you can get. This one over here," the man pointed. "...is the Mach Bike. It's capable of going at extreme speeds-"

The store manager found the boy already taking the bike back out.

"This is what I need," the boy said. "Thanks!" He tossed some money over his shoulder and ran out of the shop, speeding.

Xavier pedaled as fast as he could as he chased Trapinch near the meadow.

_This is like a repeat of the desert, _Xavier thought. Fortunately, the Mach Bike was speedy enough to catch Trapinch. He returned the Trapinch to its ball. Training it wouldn't be easy. Xavier gave up for now.

Xavier got off the bike. Now he had a faster way to travel. Pretty soon he'll have to face Wattson. He still needed one more Pokemon to equal Wattson's four. He whipped out his map and scouted for a training area near Mauville.

_Verdanturf seems nice..._

Jumping on his bike, Xavier pedaled westward to Verdanturf Town. As he rode, he spotted some pretty scenery including flowers, shrubs, and trainers with their Pokemon. He reached town, set down his bike, and made his way around town.

There were the typical things: Mart, Center, and residents. However, Xavier spotted a strange building he never saw anywhere else. Approaching it, he figured out it was a Battle Tent. Wondering what it was, Xavier strolled inside.

He made a beeline for the information desk. There he learned that this specific Battle Tent was where Pokemon could battle without commands from their Trainers, and fight on their own. Xavier thought it was as great idea for training his Trapinch, who didn't like being told what to do anyway.

Xavier registered and the informant guided him to the battlefield. Xavier walked onto the bumpy field, spotting the ref and his opponent, who was all ready to fight. His Pokemon was already on the field, a blue-colored Illumise. Sending out his Pokeball, Xavier watched patiently for Trapinch to fight. Illumise made the first move by performing a Quick Attack, speeding toward the ant Pokemon.

Trapinch dodged quickly by sidestepping. The Illumise veered around and attempted to land another Quick Attack. This time, Trapinch swiftly performed a large Sand Tomb, which Illumise rammed right into. The bug Pokemon couldn't escape the sticky sand. Trapinch then Tackled the Illumise down.

Xavier realized Trapinch was a good fighter. He watched as Illumise released a Bug Buzz, releasing sound waves in Trapinch's direction. It dodged by burrowing into the ground.

Illumise looked around the battlefield, expecting its opponenet to pop out of the ground any time now. It didn't. The bug Pokemon waited quite a while before Trapinch burst through the floor, jaws wide open, ready to land a Bite on the bug.

Illumise countered quickly and ran out of the way while Trapinch slammed itself hard onto the floor. The blue insect conjured up a Silver Wind which it blew toward Trapinch's direction. It sent Trapinch spiraling upward, high above the battle zone. Illumise thought it had won, but Trapinch was falling down at full speed, teeth showing. It aimed itself straight toward its foe.

The unexpecting Illumise was flattened by the heavily powered attack. An eruption covered the battlefield, leaving Trapinch and a very dazed Illumise in a small crater.

"Trapinch wins!" the ref exclaimed.

* * * * *

On the way to the next battle, Xavier complimented Trapinch on its battling skills, which Trapinch took very nicely. It began warming up a bit. As the doors opened to the next battefield, Trapinch leapt out of Xavier's arms.

This time, the battlefield was a heavily densed rainforest. Trapinch found its opponent, an active Vigoroth. It took advantage of its surroundings, using its primate instincts to swing from vine to vine.

Trapinch decided to swing on a branch too; unfortunately, it was a bad idea. Trapinch ended up hanging for dear life on a vine with its teeth, swinging uncontrollably on the vine like a pendulum. Vigoroth swooped in an got an easy Slash on Trapinch, knocking it down from the vine. Trapinch easily recovered, trying to spot its opponent. It scurried back and forth, occasionally catching a glimpse of the monkey Pokemon swinging.

Vigoroth decided to leap off a vine and use its power in a Crush Claw attack. It swiped its claw and missed Trapinch by inches.

Trapinch was surprised, but struck back by Biting its opponent. The Vigoroth tried to shake it off, but Trapinch kept biting harder. Eventually Vigoroth swung on a vine, Trapinch still on hand. Vigoroth stuck its arm out while swinging. Trapinch found itself about to be struck by a tree. It let go, and fell down to the ground.

Trying to use a different tactic, Trapinch whipped up a violent Sandstorm, making it hard for Vigoroth to see. It fell off the vine onto the floor, where it stood face-to-face with Trapinch.

Trapinch made the first move, using an Earth Power to cause an ground-breaking explosion in front of Vigoroth. Vigoroth took the brunt of the attack, sending it sliding backward.

Vigoroth stood straight back up again, angrier than ever. It unleashed a powerful Fury Swipes, sending powerful claw attacks toward Trapinch in a blur. Trapinch was seriously injured, Vigoroth had left scratches all over its face. Trapinch slowly looked up to Vigoroth, eyes blazing.

It lashed forward, striking with all its teeth and chomping with all its might. It performed several Earth Powers, forming an explosive ring around Vigoroth, blasting it into the air. Trapinch then quickly burrowed underground, forming a deep pit that Vigoroth landed into. The monkey Pokemon couldn't get out and therefore lost the battle. The ref called Trapinch the winner.

Later, Vigoroth was still in the pit and Trapinch scurried over to the edge of it. It looked down.

If a Trapinch had a tongue, it would have definitely stuck it out at Vigoroth.

* * * * *

The third and final match was the toughest was a special double battle. Two Pokemon were allowed to compete and work with the other without assistance of the trainer. Xavier decided to choose Milotic ; it was best suited with Trapinch to fight against the opponents, which were an Aron and a Swalot.

The battle began with Aron performing a Take Down while Trapinch used an Earthquake. The ground-type attack was super-effective against both Swalot and Aron; both took massive damage. Milotic followed up by spraying bursts of Bubblebeam to its enemies. Aron managed to dodge, while Swalot wasn't so lucky.

So far so good. Trapinch had a two type advantages, while Milotic had one. If Trapinch and Milotic kept this up, they would win with ease.

Just then, Swalot began jiggling uncontrollably. It looked like it was going to explode, but instead it released a large, purple Gunk Shot from its mouth, aiming it toward Xavier's two Pokemon. The duo managed to get out of the way, though barely. Swalot continued Gunk Shot-ing, while Aron (being immune to Poison-type attacks) rammed through the attack and started tackling its foes.

If one were to dodge the Gunk Shot, they would get hit with a powerful Take Down. If one dodged the Take Down, they got took down by the Gunk Shot. It seemed like Trapinch and Milotic were getting a major beating.

Swalot and Aron continued their barrage of attacks until Milotic decided to end this by releasing a mulit-colored Dragon Pulse at Swalot. Swalot's bulginess easily absorbed the attack, but it stopped attacking for a moment, then resumed.

Trapinch took the small window of an opportunity and released an Earth Power around Swalot, hitting it mulitple times with fragments of the earth. Swalot got repeatedly struck until it had little health left.

Aron, fearing for its partner, jumped in front of it and opened its mouth wide. It let out a horrifying, high-pitched Metal Sound that pierced the air in the battlefield. Milotic and Trapinch squirmed, and Xavier held his ears tightly to stop the sound. Eventually Aron stopped, leaving two very startled Pokemon.

Milotic and Trapinch were still recovering from the attack (which looked like it affected Pokemon more than humans) and were stunned. Aron seized the chance and tackled both of them with a powerful Double-Edge attack.

Trapinch escaped underground to avoid any more damage, while Milotic remained sturdy on the top. Aron didn't pay attention to Milotic as it consciously looked around for Trapinch.

During this time, Swalot had been gathering energy in its gaping stomach, storing Stockpile after Stockpile, and released the stored power in one go. Opening its mouth, Swalot regurgitated a huge Spit Up attack, which hit Milotic with full power. Luckily, Trapinch avoided the move and popped out behind Swalot, striking it with a powerful Dig attack. Swalot, little on health, fainted after the super-effective move.

Milotic had also fainted due to Swalot's Spit Up attack. Aron was left, and Trapinch seemed to lazily pick it off with one last Earthquake.

"Yeah!" Xavier exclaimed. They had won the Battle Tent! He eagerly picked up Trapinch and went back to the entry hall

* * * *

"What?! No prize?!" Xavier yelled questioningly.

"Yes. The Battle Tents do not offer money or prizes as an award."

"..."

_Oh well. At least I got some experience out of it, and Trapinch did too. _

Xavier left the Battle Tent, still in Verdanturf. He explored the town some more.

He stumbled upon a cave, which he eagerly ran into. It was pretty foggy, so it took quite a bit for Xavier to make a clear path. He ventured more inside the cave, eager to see what would unfold.

After a short time, Xavier came across a path that was blocked by huge boulders. Seeing as nor he or his Pokemon could get past it, he ran back outside the cave.

Picking up his back, he pedaled back toward Mauville, feeling content. He had one more Pokemon he had bonded with (to an extent, anyway) and that feeling was a reward any Trainer could enjoy.

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**This was more of a filler chapter than anything else, really. Sorry if it was not very good. As always, reviews and comments well appreciated! **


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